What should Vietnamese do when losing passport oversea?

What should Vietnamese do when losing passport oversea? (Source: Internet)

1. What is a passport?

According to Clause 3, Article 2 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019, “Passports” are documents owned by the Government and issued by competent authorities of Vietnam to Vietnamese citizens to make entry, exit and prove nationality and personal record.

2. Vietnamesewho lose their passports aboard are eligible for re-issuance of regular passports according to shortened procedures

Article 17 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019 stipulates on subjects to be issued with regular passports via adoption of shortened procedures as follows:

- Persons travelling abroad for a definite period, losing their regular passports and wishing to return immediately.

- Persons subject to written decision on expulsion of competent authorities of their host countries and lacking passports.

- Persons forcibly returning to their countries according to international agreements or treaties on repatriation.

- Persons issued with regular passports for purposes of national defense and security.

3. Issuance of regular passports via adoption of shortened procedures overseas Vietnamese who lose their passports

According to Clause 1, Article 18 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese citizens 2019 stipulating that a person travelling abroad for a definite period, losing his/her regular passport and wishing to return immediately shall be issued with a regular passport as follows:

-  The applicant shall submit a notice on loss of passport, a completed declaration form using defined templates, 2 pictures and personal identification documents issued by Vietnamese competent authorities if any;

- Within 2 working days from the date on which the application is received, a Vietnam representative office located overseas shall consider and decide issuance of passport, return results to the applicant and submit written notice to immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security in case the Vietnam representative office located overseas has not connected to the National database for entry and exit of Vietnamese citizens;

- In case of unsatisfactory to conditions for issuance of passport, within 2 working days from the date on which the application is received, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall submit a document using defined templates to immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security for verification while inform the applicant in written form;

- Within 02 working days from the date on which documents of the Vietnam representative office located overseas are received, immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security shall respond to the Vietnam representative offices located overseas regarding passport issuance;

- Within 1 working day from the date on which the response is received, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall issue passport and return results to the applicant; in case of failure to issue, respond in written form and state reasons;

- In case his/her domestic relatives fill in the declaration form, immigration authority of Ministry of Public Security shall receive, examine, respond to the relatives and submit written notice to the Vietnam representative office located overseas within 2 working days after receiving the application;

Within 1 working day from the date on which the notice is received, the Vietnam representative office located overseas shall receive photos of the applicant, issue regular passport and return results.

Thus, when going abroad and losing your passport, you can apply for a re-issue of an regular passport via adoption of shortened procedures at a competent Vietnamese agency abroad.

Quoc Dat

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